If you’re shopping for a replacement keyboard key on our website, you’ll probably see us referring to the hinge type of a key kit. But what does that mean?

Let’s use the HP Pavilion G6 as an example. All of these laptops have keyboards that look like this.

HP Pavilion G6 Keyboard

While the surface always looks the same, the hardware underneath depends on the factory that made the keyboard. This laptop keyboard can have four different types of hinges.

The four HP Pavilion G6 Hinge Types

The only way to know which keyboard key hinge type your laptop uses is to look underneath a key. You’re probably here because a key fell off of your keyboard, so that shouldn’t be a problem. The good thing is that all the keys on your keyboard have the same hinge type. So once you identify the hinge type under one key, you can confidently order standard letter keys, smaller function keys, and any of the larger keys for your keyboard.

Finally, we know it can be hard to tell the difference between some of the possible keyboard key hinge types. That’s why we offer our hinge identification service. If you’re shopping for keyboard keys on our website and you need help, just look for the “Upload a Photo” link.

Look for the “Upload a Photo” link beneath the available hinge choices.